A Thin Layer Of Transparent Silica Kept Hail From Hitting Me This Afternoon

Thunderstorms with hail possible was the prediction for today.

Thunderstorms have become sort of rare in formerly frequently booming Texas.

It seems the norm in recent times is for predicted storms to predictably not materialize.

Well, today the predicted storm arrived just as predicted. The sky darkened, the wind grew strong, thunder started booming in the distance, then all hell, I mean hail, broke loose.

The biggest hail I have ever been pummeled with.

Well, I myself did not get pummeled, but the windows between me and the outer world took a noisy beating, with the beating being so loud I thought the hail was going to break through.

Calm has now returned. But, my phone just went off yet again with yet one more AccuWeather National Weather Service Severe Thunderstorm Warning. So, I guess it is not over yet.

The video below sort of gives you an idea of the ferocity of this afternoon's hailstorm.

At His September Oktoberfest J.D. Granger Is All About The Beer All About The Beer No Water

A couple times last month I found myself wondering why it is that in Texas various locales hold an Oktoberfest festival in September.

Do they not understand that Oktober is the German spelling of October?

Would it not be more pleasant, temperature-wise, to hold a fall festival in the fall when the temperature has fallen?

Near as I can remember I have only been to an Oktoberfest once. In Leavenworth. Leavenworth is a Bavarian themed town on the east side of the Cascade Mountains in Washington. If I remember right the Leavenworth Oktoberfest is the biggest to take place outside of Germany.

Anyway.

Above you are looking at  the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's J.D. Granger, once again caught holding a container full of beer.

As I was typing "full of beer" a current hit song I hear over and over again came to mind. I don't know the name of the singer but the song goes "I'm all about the bass, all about the bass, no treble...." I'm thinking J.D. Granger could use this as his theme song with a slight re-write, "I'm all about the beer, all about the beer, no water..."

I am sure you are wondering how I came to find this picture of Mr. Granger and an adult beverage.

Well, someone named Anonymous left a blog comment....

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The Ganter River Vision Bridge Over Untroubled Water": 

JD Granger and others sighted at the Panther Island Pavilion Oktoberfest via DFW.com:

http://www.dfw.com/2014/09/26/930092/fort-worth-oktoberfest-at-panther.html

Pic #228 - JD and his shadow Matt Oliver
Pic #232 - JD's latest media fanboy the Star-Telegram's Mac Engel
Pic #236 - Kay Granger. She's in other pics too
Pics #242 & #243 - Engel and Granger et al

Perhaps Engel is hoping for a gig with The Vision when the S-T closes shop. 

Dfw.com posted an awful lot of pictures of this September Oktoberfest event. 257 to be exact. I figured out a method to quickly get through to the Pic #'s Anonymous mentioned.

Pic #228 is the one I used above. I know that is J.D. Granger on the right, but I'm not sure if his shadow is the person in the middle or on the left.

J.D.'s mama, Kay, appeared to be having herself a mighty fine time. Apparently she also is all about the beer, all about the beer, no water.

I know zero about the Mac Engel person Anonymous refers to as J.D.'s latest fanboy. Apparently the fanboy is a Fort Worth Star-Telegram employee.

Two Buck Clucking With Connie, Ginger & Mary Ann

Yesterday when I came into possession of this week's Fort Worth Weekly I saw there was an article about a local business renting egg laying chickens called Two Buck Cluck.

Til this morning I only read about as much of FW Weekly's Better Hens and Gardens article as you see screencapped here.

After I read what I read yesterday I thought to myself I must remember to mention this article to the Fort Worth Connie D, due to the Fort Worth Connie D's recent foray into adopting a couple egg layers.

Then this morning I got around to reading the rest of the article to learn there was no need to mention it to the Fort Worth Connie D. The relevant reason why there was no need to mention this I will copy from the FW Weekly article and paste below...

Connie Dees lives nearby; she too rents chickens from Thomas. After about six weeks of hen-wrangling, Dees is still enthusiastic.

“My neighbors are all just fascinated,” she said. “The hens are quiet. If they were noisy it might be an issue, but we haven’t had any negative feedback.

“It’s been a lot of fun. They are highly entertaining,” she said. They have a lot of personality. My new relaxation is that I have a lawn chair out back, and I go read a book and talk to the chickens and get out of my crazy work mode.”

Predators can be a problem — mostly raccoons, possums, and hawks. However, a sturdy coop will protect the chickens while they’re locked up, and coons and possums only come out at night after the chickens are tucked away.

“We’ve seen falcons around here,” Dees said. “I feed birds in the backyard. I was a little worried.”

She lets her hens roam freely during the day, although they run to the coop if they sense danger. So far neither has come to any harm. Thomas replaces chickens that die or get killed as long as no negligence was involved.

“They put themselves to bed,” Dees said. “About 7:30 they’re already on their roost, and I shut the cage. They’re incredibly low maintenance.”

She has noticed fewer insects around her house this summer. And she’s enjoyed the eggs and the companionship.

“I’m fascinated by the personalities of the chickens,” Dees said. “My big ginger chicken is bossy and pushy and dominant. My little rock star [crested] chicken is more curious. If I’m doing something new, she’s right up there, going ‘Hey, what are you doing? What’s happening?’ ”

From reading the Connie D Chicken Tales on Facebook I know she has named her egg layers Ginger and Mary Ann. Til reading the FW Weekly article I did not realize Connie D had so much fun with her Ginger and Mary Ann.

And til I visited the Two Buck Cluck website I did not realize how expensive Ginger and Mary Ann's golden eggs are...

Betsy Price Thinks A New Arena Is Definitely Fort Worth It

This morning I found my favorite Fort Worth mayor, Betsy Price, in my mailbox telling me "The Fort Worth Multipurpose Arena - Definitely Fort Worth it."

Very clever.

Betsy wants me, and you other Fort Worth voters, to vote "YES" on three ballot propositions relating to a new arena.

I have long verbalized the fact that I find the way public works projects come about in Fort Worth to be perplexingly different than I experienced whilst living in a more democratic part of America. In Fort Worth you can have big public works projects, like the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle, with absolutely no voter input.

And now with this new arena the public is being asked to vote on three propositions. These three propositions are where this arena election turns into yet one more goofy way Fort Worth goes about its business.

Proposition #1: A user fee (tax) on event tickets not to exceed 10% of the ticket price.
Proposition #2: A user fee (tax) on livestock stalls and pens of $1 to $2 per day, not to exceed $20 per event.
Proposition #3: A user fee (tax) on parking not to exceed $5 per vehicle, which will come out of the existing parking fee.

So, the Fort Worth voters are not actually voting yes or no on the building of this new arena, what they are voting on is three user fees, apparently also known as taxes.

If the Fort Worth voters vote no on any or all of these propositions does that kill the arena?

Other info in Betsy's arena mailer is also goofy. That is the info part of the mailer, scanned for your reading pleasure below.

See the second red heading? TAXPAYERS ARE OFF THE HOOK. There we learn that "A group of private sector participants (foundations, individuals and organizations) led by Fort Worth businessman Ed Bass will provide half the $450 million project cost. Private donations will also cover any cost overruns. The arena will be owned by the City and managed by a nonprofit organization that will be responsible for its operational costs."

See the fourth red heading? BY FORT WORTH FOR FORT WORTH. There we learn that "Unlike other North Texas arenas and stadiums there is no private developer or franchise owner involved in the project and therefore all revenue derived from the City's multipurpose arena will be redirected  back into its operations and maintenance."

HUH? In the Taxpayers Are Off The Hook part of this propaganda didn't we just read that a group of private sector participants were paying for half the cost of this arena?

Come November 4 are Fort Worth's voters going to pass these three ballot propositions? I have no idea. Maybe the thrill of actually getting to vote for something will result in a resounding yes vote. Or maybe resentment at not being able to directly vote yes or no on a new arena will result in a resounding no vote.

Currently I am undecided as to whether I will be voting yes or no.....

The Ganter River Vision Bridge Over Untroubled Water Built In Four Years

During the time since I learned that the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's Three Bridges Over Nothing are going to take four years to build I have verbalized, a time or two, my bum puzzlement that three puny bridges over nothing could take so long to build.

I have also verbalized my bum puzzlement at the fact that near as I can tell no locals are asking why the Boondoggle's bridges are being built in slow motion, causing traffic woes for years, what with the bridges alleged to be a key part of a much needed flood control and economic development project.

A few weeks ago when Spencer Jack drove across the Golden Gate Bridge it occurred to me to wonder how long that bridge over very turbulent water took to build.

Four years.

Four years to build one of the most iconic, signature bridges, if not the most iconic, signature bridge in the world.

The chief propaganda purveyor for the Boondoggle, J.D. Granger, has touted the Boondoggle's Bridges Over Nothing as being signature bridges that are being built before the un-needed flood diversion channel diverts water under the bridges because bridges are supposedly easier and cheaper to build when there is no pesky water involved.

A couple days ago it occurred to me to wonder how long it took to build the new Tacoma Narrows Suspension Bridge, over very turbulent water.

A little more than four years.

I have in my possession an informative book from National Geographic titled Marvels of Engineering. Among the marvels covered are bridges. All built over water, none built over dry land, waiting for incoming water.

One of the marvels of bridge engineering is the Ganter Bridge in Switzerland. This bridge crosses the Ganther River in the Ganter Valley. Construction began in 1976.  Construction ended in 1980.

Four years to build the Ganter Bridge over water and a valley.

Above is a screencap from the Wikipedia article about the Ganter Bridge. The designer of this bridge took the cable stayed concept and combined it with the cantilever bridge concept to create a hybrid bridge the bridge building world had not seen before.

The Ganter Bridge has won world wide acclaim for its engineering and its aesthetics.

I don't know if the Swiss, or the people who live in the Ganter Valley town of Valais, refer to the Ganter Bridge as being a signature, iconic bridge. I suspect not. The Swiss are a sophisticated people who are content to let others sing their praises when praises are due.

I think until I get an explanation as to why the Boondoggle's Three Bridges Over Nothing are scheduled to take four years to build I will have myself an ongoing theme of Engineering Marvels which took around four years to build....

The Not Greene Pillow Queen

This morning Elsie Hotpepper sent me a link to an amusing Letter to the Editor in yesterday's Fort Worth Star-Telegram printed under the heading Granger vs. Greene.

Til I read this letter I had never heard J.D. Granger's mama referred to a a Pillow Queen.

A Pillow Queen who works only to feather her own nest.

That is the letter screencapped above and copied in its entirety below....

In U.S. House District 12, we have a pillow queen (who works only to feather her own nest) for a congresswoman.

In 18 years in office, she has authored few bills that were enacted. Her latest attempt, a bill in support of the Republican effort to paint the surge in children at the border as a crises, failed miserably. Even some Republicans refused to support her.

Despite years of failure, Pillow Queen has voted for millions of dollars for a project headed by her son.

Her opponent is Democratic centrist Mark Greene, an independent small businessman who has striven to accumulate wealth through work, not cronyism.

A native Texan and lifelong DFW resident, Mark wants an economy that creates well-paying jobs for every able-bodied Texan.

In District 12, the choice is clear: Pillow Queen or Mark Greene.

— Laurin McLaurin,

Benbrook

Today I Avoided Being Mugged By Visiting The Indian Ghosts With No Running Water In Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area

Shortly after 11 this morning I exited my abode to drive to Mallard Cove Park to visit the ducks and roll my bike wheels at high speed for enough miles to get myself a good dose of aerobic stimulation and the resulting endorphins.

On my way to the ducks, heading east on Randol Mill Road, a couple Fort Worth cops passed me at high speed, without their sirens blaring. I've watched enough cop shows to know this means they are trying to intercept a crime in progress and don't want the perps to know they are on their way.

The cops continued east as I headed north on the dead end road that ends at the entry to Mallard Cove Park.

The Mallard Cove Park parking lot is a bit isolated. I have seldom seen any other vehicles there. As I was about to unlock my bike a beat up car drove to the dead end and then turned into the parking lot. The two males in the beat up car did not look like they were there to get any exercise.

The driver backed his car into a parking spot, the position one assumes if one wants to get away as quickly as possible. I could see the pair in the car were watching me. I decided it was not a good idea to get my bike out of the vehicle and put my wallet, phone and camera in the bike bag in front of prying eyes.

I decided I'd opt to be cautious and quickly made my exit, heading to the location I'd been on Sunday, Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area, which is about three miles from the duck zone.

So, that would be a photo of a Village Creek Natural Historical Area location you see above. One of the multiple areas in this park with multiple picnic tables and a big elevated fire pit.

In all the years I have been visiting the Indian Ghosts who haunt their former Village Creek home I have never seen anyone picnicking at the above location. I have never seen any of the fire pits burning anything.

So, why is this picnic area so seldom used I am sure you are asking yourself? Well, I really don't know the answer, for sure, but I can speculate.

Do you like taking your kids to a park for a picnic when the park has no running water or restroom facilities?

I don't have any kids, but I know I don't like taking myself to a park for a picnic when the park has no running water. The lack of restrooms is less bothersome to me.

Unlike Fort Worth's, most of Arlington's parks, which I have visited, do have running water and restrooms, if they have picnic tables.

In other parts of America do the states mandate that parks must have modern amenities, for health and sanitation reasons?

Texas does excellent freeway rest areas, clearly indicating Texas is not behind the rest of America in that amenity.

Parks in Texas towns like Grapevine and Southlake and Keller and others have modern amenities.

It seems to me that it is just common sense if you are going to have picnic tables in a park, with fire pits, that you should have modern amenities, like running water.

Unless ones goal is to go for an undeveloped third world type experience in ones parks....

The Dallas Observer Suggests You Get Drunk & Roll Down The Grassy Knoll Yelling Al Qaeda Did It

In a mysterious coincidence, during the final week of September, both Fort Worth Weekly and the Dallas Observer issue their highly anticipated Best of the Year issues.

Best of the Year, as in this that or the other thing is the Best of 2014.

I'd not seen a Dallas Observer Best of the Year edition til this year's version.

I've long thought the Fort Worth Weekly Best of the Year version has some goofy elements, but then figure it's a big issue which takes a lot of effort to produce, hence some goofy elements are to be expected.

The most goofy element I have found in the Dallas Observer Best of 2014 edition is in the section the online version calls Arts & Entertainment, which the print version calls Nightlife & Music.

Just having different names for this section is a bit goofy, but the goofy element to which I refer I screencapped above and copy for your reading pleasure below...

Best Spot to Be Drunk and Yell at Tourists Dallas 2014 - Grassy Knoll

Now that Dallas has marked the 50th anniversary of JFK's murder, the city is moving on from the tragedy. It's time to acknowledge that the Grassy Knoll is a great spot to hide in and yell at people. The most elevated point at Dallas' knoll has an excellent view of tourists below, all of whom appear very interested to hear any Dallas factoids, personal revelations or conspiracy theories shouted at them from above. For people intent on yelling at tourists all night, showing up drunk tends to yield more creative results, such as the ever popular "Al Qaeda did it!" Other fun knoll-related activities include just silently sitting and not yelling at people and rolling down the hill.

I am sure whoever decides such things at the Dallas Observer thought the above was the height of hilarity. I don't know what people in parts of America, other than Dallas and Texas, might think about the idea that the Dallas Observer thinks getting drunk and hollering at tourists from the Grassy Knoll is a fun activity, and perfectly appropriate, what with it being over a half century since JFK was murdered at this location.

For some reason yelling "Al Qaeda did it" seems a bit juvenile to me. And would anyone actually laugh at that?

As for rolling down the hill known as the Grassy Knoll. I  recollect way back late in the last century seeing Dealey Plaza for the first time. When I figured out where the Grassy Knoll was at Dealey Plaza I recollect being surprised because it really is not much of a geographic feature. Labeling it as a Grassy Knoll seemed like an exaggeration, as does referring to this little knob as a hill.

Go to my Dealey Plaza webpage and you will see a photo of the little knob known as the Grassy Knoll, which the Dallas Observer thinks is a fun hill to roll down, drunkenly, whilst yelling that Al Qaeda did it....

Boardwalking In Fort Worth's Gateway Park Hunting For Endorphins & Copperheads

Yes, you guessed right, my bike is back in Gateway Park.

If you guessed that my bike is at the boarded up Boardwalk one finds on the east side of the park you would also be right about that.

I was in need of an overdose of endorphins to counteract a foul mood that had be-fouled me. Swimming did not provide a sufficient dose, hence the unscheduled drive west to Gateway Park.

I rolled twice around the entire mountain bike trail, well the part that is on the north/west side of the river. I do not venture across the scary bridge that crosses the Trinity River to reach the trails on that side of the river. Last week a couple of bikers told me that a large section of those trails are like the EKG section of the River Legacy Park trails. EKG is too much for me. That and I got myself lost just walking in the EKG section.

After I was done with the mountain bike trails I rolled the paved trail to the site of Gateway Park's second boarded up Boardwalk, to find myself surprised to find it not as boarded up as in times previous. And with no warning signs. Or trail closed signs. No signs at all.

And so I walked the partially boarded up Boardwalk as best I could. The video of this walk is processing at this very moment.

Prior to walking the Boardwalk I had myself a copperhead encounter. I mention the copperhead encounter in the video. A copperhead encounter is always good for some adrenalin stimulation which seems to enhance the endorphin production.

But, even with a big dose of adrenalin and endorphins I am still in a foul mood. You can hear how grumpy I am when you listen to the video below....

Looking At Tacoma Narrows Suspension Bridges & Fort Worth's Three Bridges Over Nothing

Last month when Spencer Jack sent me a picture of himself and his dad crossing the Golden Gate Bridge it got me thinking and blogging Wondering Why It Will Take Fort Worth Longer To Build 3 Puny Bridges Over Nothing Than It Took To Build The Golden Gate Bridge.

I have yet to hear any sort of explanation as to why it is projected to take four years to build three puny Bridges Over Nothing in Fort Worth when way back early in the last century San Francisco managed to build a big bridge over water in four years.

Yesterday I was looking for a picture for a blogging about Penitentiary Hollow in Lake Mineral Wells State Park when I came upon pictures I'd forgotten I'd taken back in 2005 of the new Tacoma Narrows Suspension Bridge under construction, along with pictures taken in 2008 of the completed bridge.

This got me wondering how long it took to build the new Tacoma Narrows Bridge.

It did not take long to learn construction began on October 4, 2002, with the bridge open to traffic on July 15, 2007, about four years, nine months later.

Reading the Wikipedia article about the three Tacoma Narrows Bridges I came upon a couple interesting contrasts between the new Tacoma Narrows Suspension Bridge project and the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's Bridges Over Nothing.

As in, in 1998 voters in the Washington counties affected by the need for a new bridge across the Narrows approved a measure to create a second Narrows bridge. Then following that vote came protests and court battles, with construction finally beginning in 2002.

Now, could the reason the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's Bridges Over Nothing are being built in slow motion have anything to do with the fact that nothing to do with the Boondoggle has been voted on  by the public? And thus not funded in the way public works projects are usually funded.

And where are the protests and court battles initiated by locals disturbed by various aspects of the Boondoggle? Where is the court case brought by someone appalled at the nepotism involved in hiring a local Congresswoman's unqualified son to be the Executive Director of the Boondoggle, to motivate that Congresswoman to help fund the Boondoggle with earmarked pork, which has never materialized, due to changing times, hence the stalled, slow motion Boondoggle?

The unqualified Executive Director of the Boondoggle has claimed that building the Three Bridges Over Nothing will save money and facilitate ease of construction by not building them over that pesky un-needed flood diversion channel and its shallow water.

Why has no one called foul on this claim? When the fact of the matter is the bridges are being built over nothing because there is no money to build the un-needed flood diversion channel.

The new Tacoma Narrows Suspension Bridge was built over water. Deep water. Deep water which moves fast when the tide changes. The total length of the new Tacoma bridge is 5,400 feet. On average the bridge deck is 187.5 feet above the tidal changing water below.

I don't know why the Tacoma bridge builders did not think to make their construction job easier by draining the Tacoma Narrows before doing any bridge building. They should have consulted Fort Worth's premiere project engineer, J.D. Granger, for advice on how to best build a bridge over water.

Below is a picture I took in early August of 2008, looking north at Tacoma's twin suspension bridges.

I was taken to this location to a fish and chips joint the name of which I do not remember. I do remember it was very good fish and chips. With the fish being cod, not catfish, which passes for being seafood at my current location on the planet.

Do you think if the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's Three Bridges Over Nothing actually get built they will be as visually interesting as the Tacoma bridges? And why does Tacoma not refer to their bridges as being signature bridges and iconic? Because they sort of are.....